Michael Perrone has noticed something about America, most of its trees have been planted in rows, much like the lights along a highway.

This Iowa City artist uses a palette of bright colors to emphasize the interaction between man-made landscape elements. Some of the wilder colors he uses are to emphasize the attempt of nature to break free from all that orderliness that it's been given.

Using unusual paint scraping techniques, Michael puts things together in a fresh new way, according to exhibit curator Patricia Hickson of the Des Moines Art Center Downtown. Michael's story is another in our series on contemporary art in Iowa.